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(Se Mdel.) I 2 sheets-snm 1.` E. J.` BROOKS.

FASTENING TIN STRIP SEALS.

' Patented Apr. 1, Y18.811.. 1g 1.

`No.V 96,124 y 'WIINESSES l du/ard JBrook-s, @d p V By his .Attorney INVENTOR` f N4 PETERS. rhomumegmpher. wnsmngnm. n c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheen 2.

\ E. J. BROOKS.

` FASTjIlqIlVGr` TIN STRIP SEALS.

910.296,124. VPatented Apr.1,.18814.

INVENTOl` Edward Jfrooks,

By his .Attorney N. PETERS. Phlu-umognpnn wn-mngean llc.

v Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

` EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO' E. J.

BROOks a co., OE NEW YORK, n. Y. y i

` l FASTENING TlNfsTRlP SEALs.

' SPECIFICATION forming prtof Letters Patent No. 296,124', dated April l, 1884.

' 1 Application tiled January 31, 1834. (No model.)

To all whom t `may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a vnew and useful Improvement in FasteningTinStrip Seals, of which the foland fastened by pressing vor stamping at the. sealing operation, so that any attempt to separate them shall cause a fracture of the metal. This invention` consists in a novel method `of `sealing or fastening such tin-strip seals, hereinafter described and claimed, having for its object the greatest possible security against the` fraudulent duplication of `such seals, so as to deter and detectviolations ofthe same.

rIwo sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof. Figurejl of these drawings isa face View of apreferred form of `blank or seal-strip-Wlatl-as it leaves the factory. Figs." 2 2X represent sections of the same on the lines 22 and ww, respectively.

`1 i i `.carrying out this invention, and Fig. 10 is a Fig. 3 is a'n edge4 view of the samewith its` ends interthreaded, ready for pressing. Fig.

face view of its pair of dies.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

In carrying out this invention I employ a example, of suitable tin77 (tin-plate) having l y in one end one or y more slots, s or sx, and the y other` end, t or tx, adapted to be threaded` any approved therethrough, and to lie flatly over or upon the slotted end.` The tin may be any of the cheap grades commonly used for tin-strip seals, or of scraps of less frangible77 or brittle tin 'where greater strength is desirable, my

present method of sealing or fastening the` seals rendering tin-strip seals of rela-tively lductile metal secure enough for practical purposes, by necessitating peculiar dies for refastening the same should aperson be skillful enough to unfasten one without fracturing the metal.

The preferred form of seal-strip illustrated by Figs. l, 2, 2X, and 3 has a pair of transverse slots, s s, formed in it and aligned with each other by'a longitudinal raised or arched portion, c, near one extremity, to facilitate threading through said slots the narrow tongue formed by saidiend tf The tongue end tis threaded through the slotss s, as shown in Fig. 3, after passing the strip` through the sealing-staples S of a freight-car door, or the sealing-holes of its fastening, or in equivalent manner applying the same to baggage Or the like whichis to be sealed. It is then ready for pressing.

The seal-strip AX shown interthreaded in. Fig. 7 is similar in all respects to the one above described, save that its raised or arched portion al is transverse or parallel with its slots sx, and it is provided with lips ZZ at the respective slots, to further facilitate threading the tongue end tx through said slots in either direction. Said lips are readily formed, in cutting the slots sx sx, by the use of chiselpointed punches'or cutters, and may project either at the convex side of the arch a", as shown in full lines, or at the concave side of the arch, as shown in'dotted lines.

In carrying out this invention I further elnploy a seal-press, l?, Fig.` 9, which may be of kind possessing sufficient power7 and strength, and furnished with suitable dies. operation a seal-press of the construction patented December 14.-, 1880, by E. J. Brooks 85 Co., as assignees of Frederic Anthes, as set Ihave used and prefer for this forth in Letters Patent No. 235,398, and have represented the same by way of illustration,

said press to be furnished with a pair of steel dies, D D", Figs. 9 and 10, constructed, respectivel y, With a cameo face bearing punching projections p p p and an intaglio face provided with matching depressions d d d, said projections and depressions being preferably tWo or more in number, and of sufficient eX- tent jointly to fully cover or cross the slot or slots in the seal-strip A or A". An essential feature of said die projections and depressions is their construction in the form of numerals, as in the example, or letters, numerals and letters, or the like, so as to form indentations and projections in the shape of distinguishing-marks, capable of being readily described and identified, andl of the requisite multiplication without duplicates. Another essential feature is their adaptation to impress both ends of the seal-strip from one and the same side of the seal, so that the projections of one end shall interlock with the indentav or t) through its slotted end, as illustrated by Fig. 3, so that said ends lie Hat or closely one against the other, as aforesaid, I apply thereto the press Rand by means of its dies D Db impress both ends over and across its slots (s or si) as represented at m, Figs. 4i, 5, 6, and 8, so as to close and mutilate the slots, as Well as to thicken and crimp the tongue end and interlock the projections of one end with the indentations ofthe other, as aforesaid,whereby the separation of the ends without breaking or marriug one or both, so as to insure detection, is effectively guarded against, While by making said indentations, or preferably the obverse projections, as shown in the form of numbers (7 77 in the example) or equivalent distinguishing-marks, their duplication is rendered so difficult as to be practically impossible, and their description, identification, and variation for different roads7 or users,are facilitated. Stamping over and across the slots, as aforesaid, or over and across one of the 5 slots is considered essential to a reliable degree of security, and is therefore made an essential element of my present method of fastening tin-strip seals. Said method of fastening the ends is peculiarly effective with the slots formed in arched portions, as in thepreoo ferred forms of seal-strip above described, as the arches are in this case flattened and the slots most effectively closed at the pressing operation.

The within-described seal-strips and dies, as Well as the press shown by Way of illustration, form no part of my present invention. Said seal-strip Ax, Figs. 7 and 8, forms the subject-matter of a previous application fora patent filed by me October 18, 1883, (Serial 7o N o. 109,804,) in favor of which it is hereby disclaimed. Interthreading the ends preparatory to pressing, together With the use of two (or more) slots,is illustrated at Figs. 18 and 19 in Patent No. 178,722, granted tome 75 June 18, 1876, and connecting parallel transverse slots by a longitudinal raised or arched portion to facilitate intel-threading, is illustrated at Figs. 9 and 9x in Patent N o. 258,27 8, for another of my inventions, dated May 23, 8o 1882. The Within-described seal-strip A, Figs.

1 to 8', inclusive, is therefore disclaimed infavor of these patents; and the broad idea of impressing either or both ends of a sheetmetal seal-strip, with retaining projections in the form ofdistinguishing-marks, is disclaimed, in View of my patented inventions set forth in Letters Patent No. 236,539, dated January 11, 1881, and No. 242,259, dated May 31, 1881, with said Patent No. 258,278.

Having thus set forth my said improvement in fastening tin-strip seals, I claim as my invention, and desire to patent under my present specifrcation- The improved method of fastening tin-strip 9 5 seals herein specified, consisting in interthreading their ends by threading one end through slots in the other, bringing the ends together flatwise, one over or upon the other, and then stamping said ends over and across loo said slots or one of them, with indentations and projections in theshape of distinguishingmarks formed simultaneously in both ends from one and the same side of the seal, said projections on one end being thereby made to fit into and interlock With said indentations in the other end, substantially as shown and described.

EDWARD J. BROOKS. j Witnesses:

N. S. KLINE, H. L. C. WENK. 

